English 101

I strongly agree with Christakis when see says “When we are with our kids we should put the phone down”(Christakis, 4) I have experienced similarly situations myself when with my kids. Even though I use the phone to do important things in regards to our family business rather than just be on facebook. However it still takes my attention and I do blame myself for missing some cute moments sometimes. For example the other day I had just picked up my son at school and were having a nice conversation when an insurance person whom I was expecting to call called me. The conversation between me and my well spoken 4 year old son got cut in the middle and he just silent himself when he noticed I was on the phone. That made me feel so bad I could not remember the subject and asked him and he just said “it’s all right mom”. I am going to follow the author’s advice and try not to use my phone at all when my kids be present.

The Dangers of Distracted Parenting

In “The Dangers of Distracted Parenting” Erika Christakis argues about how parents are becoming so distracted with technology that they are forgetting the essential reason of spending time with their kids which is being with them physically and emotionally she says “Our society may be reaching peak criticism of digital devices”.

Digital devices are are creating a major problem worse than having kids obsessed with then “It involves kid’s development” because parents are not there paying attention to their children or being there emotionally for them. Without the parent and child engagement, the child’s development is at stake. Parents are placing their children in front of a screen not knowing that the contend they are being exposed to is actually “damaging their brains” “Today’s preschoolers spend more than four hours a day facing a screen”

While some contents on kids tablets and phones are not as bad. They are still missing their time to explore the world around them and interact with other people. This certainly is taking away precious learning acquisition time from their lives. In the other hand the screen is also harming parents. They also miss precious time with their kids while having a split attention or as “technology expert Linda Stone more than 20 years ago called continuous partial attention” according to Cristaki “communication is the basis of most human learning” and the devices are taking the learning process out of distracted parents and their kids.

If there were not so many devices around babies would be much smarter by school age. The author emphasizes how important it is for babies to learn by observing a human being in person rather than watching a video. Children’s vocabulary is build stronger when their parents have daily conversations with them “according to the Hirsh-Pasek, a professor at Temple University and senior fellow at Brookings Institution”   

The distractions of our phones is breaking the communication between us and our kids causing more than physical wounds but also creating a gap between the child and parents relationship and also delaying the child’s cognitive development.

Through the research done in Boston in 2010 at fast food restaurants, researcher were able to observe how part of the parents used their phones and paid less attention to their children ignoring them and having little to no interactions to their children. In another research done in Philadelphia researcher showed how the parents use of cellphone impacts language learning. “The mothers were told to teach their children 2 new words” They were also supposed to answer their phones. The mother who answered were not able to teach the new words.

Parents have always found some way to keep their children occupied either to have fun or run home errands. Keeping children occupied when we are with them is ok sometimes be aware easily because of distraction with their phones and not allowing kids to try thing on their oy from them even when physically there is outrageous. Nowadays parents are getting angry mown. With the changes in the education system there are more kids in school at a younger age which also give them less opportunities to explore the world and be spontaneous in the way act or talk.

Christakis says kids are made to catch their parents attention. However they’ll give up and with it the damage of not being an engaged parent is made.

Overall the author finalizes by saying that parents are also suffering with this technology problem and having to be their for everything and everyone. We all have our issues and are humans after all it is not easy to be on top of everything. However when we are with our kids we should refrain from using our phones.  

 

I strongly agree with Christakis when see says “When we are with our kids we should put the phone down” I have experienced similarly situations myself when with my kids. Even though I rather use the phone to do important things in regards to our family business rather than just be on facebook. However it still takes my attention and I do blame myself for missing some cute moments sometimes. For example the other day I had just picked up my son at school and were having a nice conversation when an insurance person whom I was expecting to call called me. The conversation between me and my well spoken 4 year old son got cut in the middle and he just silent himself when he noticed I was on the phone. That made me feel so bad I could not remember the subject and asked him and he just said “it’s all right mom”. I am going to follow the author’s advice and try not to use my phone at all when my kids be present.

As a mother I have always worried about how the devices could affect my kids. I have always limited their screen time. A few of my friends say I exaggerate sometimes but I know I am only doing the best for them. After reading “The Dangers of Distracted Parenting” I came to realize how my use of devices can also affect my kids development and also emotional so I am glad I read it.

According to Doctor Victoria L. Dunkley’s article on the Psychology Today. Parents should fast from screen for a few days in order to be more effective on how time manage their kids screen usage. Dunhkley says that the use of devices are not only bad for kids but they are also very harmful for the adults. The screen usage even if moderate can “cause a parent to become disorganized, exhibit poor impulse control, lack self-discipline, and have trouble following through on goals including establishing healthy screen limits”. Not to mention the other problems related to the use of devices that goes from our melatonin levels to physical health. The author emphasizes how important it is for the parents to stop the screen time all together helps rewind and start a new routine. This way it will help “You’ll model good screen habits, You’ll be more aware, Your executive functioning will be enhanced, You’ll be much more likely to follow through on what you said you would do”.

In addition I couldn’t agree more and the source from Doctor Dunkley helps me support how this article has made an impact on me and at the same token I believe Christakis has reached her audience, parents, with this article; she was clear with her examples and made a strong point. No matter who we are with a lot a little to do when we are parents we have to interact with our kids directly not expecting a device will do our job we are responsible for our offsprings development and who they will be tomorrow is one hundred percent in our hands at their critical developmental time.

 

Works cited:

Parents

Hey Parents-Put down those devices

Victoria L. Dunckey

June 27, 2017

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-wealth/201706/hey-parents-put-down-those-device

The Atlantic

The Dangers of Distracted Parenting Erika Christakis

July/August 2018

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/07/the-dangers-of-distracted-parenting/561752/

In the memoir “Tomorrow will be a better day” Josh Rittenberg talks about now and then experiences of a father and a son and how they affect the point of view of how tomorrow is going to be. Rittenberg talks about his father being worried for his future. His father says might be bad because the way the word is nowadays comparing to his past. However Josh is assured that it will fine. His father and grandparents faced many harsh times in the past like wars and non curable disease but they also saw the end of the war and vaccines for those diseases. Josh believes nowadays is the same we are going through so many tough times. However it will pass and better days will come and like Josh’s father used to say to him there will be better days he is encouraged to say to his father “Don’t worry dad there will be better days”

This memoir definitely relates to the life of others we are all worried somehow about what tomorrow reserves to us.

 

This I Believe Podcast

Tomorrow will be better (Memoir)

Josh Rittenberg

October 8, 2015

https://thisibelieve.org/theme/family/

Hello Jocelyn

I like the style you did you summary. You already used a second source together with your opinions. That is not easy to do at least not for me . There is just one piece that could be changed in my opinion and that you could double check with Ms. Pappas. I think should you start by actually talking about the summary and then introduce the other source. I was a little confused at first, it might have been because I did the summary on the same article. Over all it was well done.

Essay 2 rough draft

The Dangers of Distracted Parenting

In “The Dangers of Distracted Parenting” Erika Christakis argues about how parents are becoming so distracted with technology that they are forgetting the essential reason of spending time with their kids which is being with them physically and emotionally she says “Our society may be reaching peak criticism of digital devices”.

Digital devices are are creating a major problem worse than having kids obsessed with then “It involves kid’s development” because parents are not there paying attention to their children or being there emotionally for them. Without the parent and child engagement, the child’s development is at stake. Parents are placing their children in front of a screen not knowing that the contend they are being exposed to is actually “damaging their brains” “Today’s preschoolers spend more than four hours a day facing a screen”

While some contents on kids tablets and phones are not as bad. They are still missing their time to explore the world around them and interact with other people. This certainly is taking away precious learning acquisition time from their lives. In the other hand the screen is also harming parents. They also miss precious time with their kids while having a split attention or as “technology expert Linda Stone more than 20 years ago called continuous partial attention” according to Cristakis “communication is the basis of most human learning” and the devices are taking the learning process out of distracted parents and their kids.

If there were not so many devices around babies would be much smarter by school age. The author emphasizes how important it is for babies to learn by observing a human being in person rather than watching a video. Children’s vocabulary is build stronger when their parents have daily conversations with them “according to the Hirsh-Pasek, a professor at Temple University and senior fellow at Brookings Institution”   

The distractions of our phones is breaking the communication between us and our kids causing more than physical wounds but also creating a gap between the child and parents relationship and also delaying the child’s cognitive development.

Through the research done in Boston in 2010 at fast food restaurants, researcher were able to observe how part of the parents used their phones and paid less attention to their children ignoring them and having little to no interactions to their children. In another research done in Philadelphia researcher showed how the parents use of cellphone impacts language learning. “The mothers were told to teach their children 2 new words” They were also supposed to answer their phones. The mother who answered were not able to teach the new words.

Parents have always found some way to keep their children occupied either to have fun or run home errands. Keeping children occupied when we are with them is ok sometimes be aware easily because of distraction with their phones and not allowing kids to try thing on their oy from them even when physically there is outrageous. Nowadays parents are getting angry more easily. With the changes in the education system there are more kids in school at a younger age which also give them less opportunities to explore the world and be spontaneous in the way act or talk.

Christakis says kids are made to catch their parents attention. However they’ll give up and with it the damage of not being an engaged parent is made.

Overall the author finalizes by saying that parents are also suffering with this technology problem and having to be their for everything and everyone. We all have our issues and are humans after all it is not easy to be on top of everything. However when we are with our kids we should refrain from using our phones.  

Works cited:

The Atlantic

The Dangers of Distracted Parenting Erika Christakis

July/August 2018

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/07/the-dangers-of-distracted-parenting/561752/

When Faith in God proves its effects
There are many adversaries we had to face having my husband undocumented
in the family. It always meant that dad had to work twice as hard as other legal people
and get paid a lot less than they get paid. Often times we would have dinner without dad
around and most likely the kids would go to bed before he got home. He always had to
drive long distances to work. I was always waiting for him. I needed to talk to him and
share my worries about the process. Even though by faith I was assured everything
would be OK I still thought about it a lot. I knew my husband would get home tired
hungry and worst of all he would have worked hours overtime with no expectation for an
overtime payment. I had no other adult to talk to on the immigration situation and how it
was affecting me as far as the anxiety it was causing but no matter how tired he was
tough he would come in with a smile and greet me “ Peace of God, how was your day?”
His words of peace would help me ease out the anxiety and feel better. Our children
were still too young to digest the fact that their father might not come back to the United
States if immigration does not grant him unlawful provisional waiver.

One afternoon, my husband and I were deciding on our next big step. My
husband was then an undocumented immigrant married to a U.S citizen. We had been
married for 6 years and had 3 children and decided it was time to hire a lawyer to help
us out on my husband’s legalization, as we use to call the process. He helped us with
the first step which was simple. Next came the time to file the I 601 form that could grant
provisional unlawful presence waiver for my husband. That is the step to take when you
come to this country through the back doors like my husband did back in 2004. It was
now October and winter coming soon upon us. My husband came to me and said
“There will be a slow down on work now and we might have to hold the legalization” My
husband’s work in the construction field decreases drastically during winter and moving
forward with the process would require spending valuable winter money. We spoke on
the subject for while and I said “Maybe I should file this application myself”. The
application also involved writing a persuasive letter on how important it was for me and
my children that my husband was granted the right to stay and proceed with his
legalization. One of those nights after he came home we discussed about the
legalization process and as christians we decided to go to church and see what God
had to say about how we would proceed. Whether I would write the letter myself or just
leave to the attorney.

We went to next service on the Sunday that weekend. At the church we attend
there is no specific person assigned for predicating. It could be any member man who
felt that God had revealed the word to him. That Sunday morning we entered our car on
the way to church feeling virtuous and full of faith that God would speak to us through
the his word and help us make the decision. When we parked at church my husband
looked at me and said “baby God will speak to us” and I nodded in agreement. As I held
my daughters’ hands while entering the church it seemed like the church was brighter
that day and I could feel the presence of God. Service began as usual after praying and
singing hymns it was time for the word. My children sat next to me and as I looked at
them I felt an encouragement almost as a boost of faith to believe that day God would
speak to us and guide us on the right way.
That day the same brother who was presiding had the word. However he did not
know we were looking for an answer from God. We could feel the presence of the lord
in him. The brother was gleaming and had the authority of God to speak his words. I
was in deep communion when the title was announced “let’s open our bibles on
Nehemiah chapter 2” As he read the text It talked about Nehemiah asking the king for
permission to go back to Judah and build it. It also talked about the letters Nehemiah
was going to need from the king and the king would have given to him. At that moment I
cried of joy and looked towards where my husband was sitting. I could see he was also
crying. After reading the passage the brother would exhort it. As if he had known he
would say “You are here today because you need an answer and God tells as he was

with Nehemiah he’ll be with you. Do not fear” “God is giving you the permission you
need to go where you need to go” That was the the answer to our petition. All the
waiting was over and all the fear was gone. From that moment on I felt as if I had been
given super powers and all I needed to do was open my heart and God would guide me
throughout the right way on the legalization process.
That Sunday afternoon our family was rejoicing before the lord. We prayed and
thanked him for being so precise in answering us. On that same day I told my husband
“I’ll begin writing the letter today” My husband tended to the children. He did not have
that much of time to be with them during the week so on weekends he made the time
worth a while. There was happiness all over us as I heard “ Go horsey, go horsey”
while my son was his dad’s back playing cowboy. My daughters were anxious around
them waiting for their turns on the horsey. My husband was laughing hard and knew he
was doing what was most important for him spending time with those he loved most and
making them happy because to him it didn’t matter how much time he spent with our
children, what mattered was the quality of time and of course how much fun they would
have. Our children were not sure about what was going on but clearly could see their
parents were happy. I remember telling them God is good and he will always take care
of us, while I sat on the couch with a pen and paper and started writing the letter by
telling the immigration department, why should my husband be granted his I 601
provisional unlawful presence waiver in order to come to the U.S. In few words I’ll say
here the message of the letter: “I believe my husband should be granted provisional
unlawful presence waiver because he is a good father. Even though he works extended
hours and being tired, he always makes some time for the family. He is a loving and
caring dad who would give up having his lunch if it meant he could finish his work earlier
and come home to be with his family”. I sat there and in a few minutes and I was able to
express all my truthful feelings on that letter and most important knowing that God had
already told us the application with the letter would be approved.

The following day I filled out the application and attached the letter I had written. I
also attached a few pictures of our family.It is part of the process the department of
immigration sets up an interview at american consulate in the country where a
beneficiary is from and in my husband’s case he needed to have the I 601 form
approved so he could come back. I looked to my children and thought “you’ll never have
to be away from daddy” Deep inside me I had that fear before we decided to ask God
what to do. We were much relieved because we did not have pay the attorney to do this
step of the process for us and winter savings would be untouched. Even knowing that it
is not an easy step and people usually don’t file I 601 application by themselves, we
were assured by our faith in God that he would take care of it from then on. A little less
than a month we received the approval letter and the date my husband had to be at the
interview overseas. Once again we were reassured of our faith.

After receiving my peer review and some comments from professor Pappas I was able to go over my memoir essay and make some adjustments. As my classmate suggested I did added some more on the way I felt through my husband’s immigration process and personally I thought I should have done that before hand but since I wanted to focus more on the faith part of the memoir didn’t expand much on that. However I agree that adding some more personal experience helped. Professor Pappas suggested that I talked a little more about how is the life of families with undocumented members and I did. Over all I believe I was able to better up my memoir.

One afternoon, my husband and I were deciding on our next big step. My husband was then an undocumented immigrant married to a U.S citizen. We had been married for 6 years and had 3 children and decided it was time to hire a lawyer to help us out on my husband’s legalization, as we use to call the process. He helped us with the first step which was simple. Next came the time to file the I 601 form that could grant provisional unlawful presence waiver for my husband. That is the step to take when you come to this country through the back doors like my husband did back in 2004. It was now October and winter coming soon upon us. My husband came to me and said “There will be a slow down on work now and we might have to hold the legalization” My husband’s work in the construction field decreases drastically during winter and moving forward with the process would require spending valuable winter money. We spoke on the subject for while and I said “Maybe I should file this application myself”. The application also involved writing a persuasive letter on how important it was for me and my children that my husband was granted the right to stay and proceed with his legalization.

There are many adversaries we had to face having my husband undocumented in the family. It always meant that dad had to work twice as hard as other legal people and get paid a lot less than they get paid. Often times we would have dinner without dad around and most likely the kids would go to bed before he got home. He always had to drive long distances to work. I was always waiting for him. I needed to talk to him and share my worries about the process. Even though by faith I was assured everything would be ok thought about it a lot. I knew my husband would get home tired hungry and worst of all he would have worked hours overtime with no expectation for an overtime payment. However I had no other adult to talk to on the immigration situation and how it was affecting me as far as the anxiety it was causing. Our children were still too young to digest the fact that their father might not come back to the United States if immigration does not grant him unlawful provisional waiver. One of those nights after he came home we discussed about the legalization process and as christians we decided to go to church and see what God had to say about how we would proceed. Whether I would write the letter myself or just leave to the attorney.

We went to next service on the Sunday that weekend. At the church we attend there is no specific person assigned for predicating. It could be any member man who felt that God had revealed the word to him. That Sunday morning we entered our car on the way to church feeling virtuous and full of faith that God would speak to us through the his word and help us make the decision. When we parked at church my husband looked at me and said “baby God will speak to us” and I nodded in agreement. As I held my daughters’ hands while entering the church it seemed like the church was brighter that day and I could feel the presence of God. Service began as usual after praying and singing hymns it was time for the word. My children sat next to me and as I looked at them I felt an encouragement almost as a boost of faith to believe that day God would speak to us and guide us on the right way.

That day the same brother who was presiding had the word. However he did not know we were looking for an answer from God. I was in deep communion when the title was announced “let’s open our bibles on Nehemiah chapter 2” As he read the text It talked about Nehemiah asking the king for permission to go back to Judah and build it. It also talked about the letters Nehemiah was going to need from the king and the king would have given to him. At that moment I cried of joy and looked towards where my husband was sitting. I could see he was also crying. After reading the passage the brother would exhort it. As if he had known he would say “You are here today because you need an answer and God tells as he was with Nehemiah he’ll be with you. Do not fear” “God is giving you the permission you need to go where you need to go” That was the the answer to our petition. All the waiting was over and all the fear was gone. From that moment on I felt as if I had been given super powers and all I needed to do was open my heart and God would guide me throughout the right way on the legalization process.

That Sunday afternoon our family was rejoicing before the lord. We prayed and thanked him for being so precise in answering us. On that same day I told my husband “I’ll begin writing the letter today” My husband tended to the children who were not sure about what was going on but clearly could see their parents were happy. I remember telling them God is good, while I sat on the couch with a pen and paper and started writing the letter by telling the immigration department, why should my husband be granted his I 601 provisional unlawful presence waiver in order to come to the U.S. In few words I’ll say here the message of the letter: “I believe my husband should be granted provisional unlawful presence waiver because he is a good father. Even though he works extended hours and being tired, he always makes some time for the family. He is a loving and caring dad who would give up having his lunch if it meant he could finish his work earlier and come home to be with his family”. I sat there and in a few minutes and I was able to express all my thruthfull feelings on that letter and most important knowing that God had already told us the application with the letter would be approved.

The following day I filled out the application and attached the letter I had written. I also attached a few pictures of our family.It is part of the process the department of immigration sets up an interview at american consulate in the country where a beneficiary is from and in my husband’s case he needed to have the I 601 form approved so he could come back. I looked to my children and thought “you’ll never have to be away from daddy” Deep inside me I had that fear before we decided to ask God what to do. We were much relieved because we did not have pay the attorney to do this step of the process for us and winter savings would be untouched. Even knowing that it is not an easy step and people usually don’t file I 601 application by themselves, we were assured by our faith in God that he would take care of it from then on. A little less than a month we received the approval letter and the date my husband had to be at the interview overseas. Once again we were reassured of our faith.